George Bertrand
George Frederick Bertrand | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 9 February 1891 Urenui, New Zealand |
| Died | 25 July 1957 (aged 66) Palmerston North, New Zealand |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  New Zealand |
| Service/ | New Zealand Military Forces |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Commands held | Taranaki Regiment 2nd Māori Battalion |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Lieutenant Colonel George Frederick Bertrand OBE, ED (9 February 1891 – 25 July 1957) was an officer of the New Zealand Military Forces who served in both the First and Second World Wars.
Early life[edit]
George Bertrand was born on 9 February 1891 in Urenui, New Zealand. His father was an English immigrant and his mother was Māori (Ngāti Mutunga). Betrand attended Te Aute College and Wellington Teachers' Training College[1][2]
Military career[edit]
With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Bertrand enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and was posted to the Wellington Battalion. He served in Gallipoli and on the Western Front. He was wounded three times and rose to the rank of lieutenant.[2][3]
Between the wars, Bertrand served as a territorial officer in the Taranaki Regiment and rose to become its commanding officer in 1931.[2][4]
During the Second World War, Bertrand was made second in command of the 28th (Māori) Battalion and saw action in Greece, Crete and North Africa. He returned to New Zealand in 1942 and commanded the 2nd Māori Battalion until 1944.[2][3]
Civilian life[edit]
Bertrand taught at New Plymouth Boys' High School between the two world wars and again after World War II. He was a member of the Ngarimu Scholarship Fund Board.[5]
Later life[edit]
Bertrand died in Palmerston North on 25 July 1957 from injuries suffered in a car crash. He was buried in Te Henui Cemetery in New Plymouth.[6][7] He was the grandfather of New Zealand Labour Party Member of the Parliament of New Zealand Georgina Beyer MNZM who was born in November 1957 and named after him.
Honours and awards[edit]
Bertrand was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1943 New Year Honours.[3][8]
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References[edit]
- ^ "Lt. Col. George Bertrand". Puke Ariki. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d Cody, J.F (1956). "28 (Maori) Battalion". Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–45. Wellington: Historical Publications Branch. p. 2. OCLC 10848095.
- ^ a b c "George Frederick Bertrand". Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ No. 89. The New Zealand Gazette. 18 December 1930. p. 3871
- ^ "George Frederick Bertrand". 28th Māori Battalion. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "Mr G. F. Bertrand". The Press. 29 July 1957.
- ^ "George Frederick Bertrand". Find a Grave. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "No. 35841". The London Gazette. 1 January 1943. p. 9.
- 1891 births
- 1957 deaths
- New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- New Zealand Army officers
- New Zealand Military Forces personnel of World War I
- New Zealand military personnel of World War II
- People from Taranaki
- Ngāti Mutunga people
- New Zealand people of English descent
- People educated at Te Aute College
- New Zealand schoolteachers
- Road incident deaths in New Zealand
- Burials at Te Henui Cemetery